Fresh produce is usually the first thing to be thrown away, and almost always because of where it was put, not how long it was kept. A few habits make a noticeable difference, especially in Dubai’s heat, where the walk from the car to the kitchen is itself part of the problem.
Keep these out of the fridge
- Bananas, which ripen faster and blacken in the cold.
- Tomatoes, which lose flavour and turn mealy below about 12°C.
- Onions, garlic and potatoes, which want somewhere dark, dry and airy.
- Melons and mangoes until they are cut, after which the fridge is right.
Separate the ripeners
Apples, bananas and mangoes give off ethylene, which ripens everything near them. Keep them away from leafy greens and cucumbers and both last longer. If you want an avocado ready sooner, the opposite trick works: put it in a paper bag with a banana.
This is also why one forgotten apple at the back of the drawer can take a whole drawer with it. Once a week, take everything out, look at it, and use whatever is furthest along that evening.
Wash when you use, not when you buy
Water left on berries, herbs and salad leaves speeds up rot. Store them dry, and wash only what you are about to eat. Herbs keep best standing in a little water, like flowers, with a bag loosely over the top.
Give leaves somewhere to breathe
Salad leaves and coriander fail from moisture more than from age. A sheet of kitchen paper in the box or bag absorbs what collects, and changing it when it feels damp will often buy another three or four days. Leave the bag open a little rather than sealing it tight.
Our fresh aisles are restocked through the day, so buying little and often is easy — you will find something fresh on the shelf whatever hour you come in, which is the simplest fix of all for a fridge that keeps producing things nobody wants to eat.